Runway for stairways.



E. V. CARTER.

RUNWAY POR- STAIRWAYS. APPLIOATIOII FILED NOV. 18, 1910.

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Patented Jan 17, 1911.

UNIT STAT$ AN FFICEE.

EDWARD V. CARTER, 0F HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

RUNWAY FOR STAIRWAYS.

Application filed. November 18, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ED\VARD V. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Huntington, in the county of Cabell and State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Runways for Stairways, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stairway showing the application of my run-way thereto, the runway being shown partly in section; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the lower portion of one of the tracks applied to the stairway; and Fig. 3 a vertical section through the runway on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to provide a pair of tracks or rails which together constitute a sort of runway or skid for use on stairways to facilitate the raising and lowering of heavy articles such as safes, pianos on piano-trucks, etc., the tracks or rails being so constructed that they may be set apart a distance suitable for the wheels or casters of the article to be handled and so that they may be adjusted as to length and inclination to enable them to be adapted to various stairways, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

The tracks each consist of a pair of main rails a provided with marginal flanges to form channels, the upper end of the lower section being adapted to lie within the upper section and to slide therein to enable the rails to be adjusted to stairways of different length, a pair of set screws bbeing employed to lock the two sections together when they are properly adjusted to the particular stairway, these set screws being mounted in the upstanding flanges of the upper section and being adapted to bite into the upstanding flanges of the lower section. These main rails are laid directly against the front edges of the treads of the stairway and they extend from the bottom to the top of the stairway. Hinged to the upper end of each of the upper rail-sections is an extension rail 0 which is likewise channeled and is adapted to lie upon the platform or floor at the upper end of the stairway, the axis of the hinges being horizontal to enable the extensions to swing freely in a vertical direction. To the lower end of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

Serial No. 593,115.

each of the lower rail-sections is hinged a section (Z which is also flanged to form a channel and the axis of the hinge being horizontal this extension is thus adapted to lie flat upon the floor at the bottom of the stairway. A supplemental channel rail 0 has its lower end pivotally supported within the flanges of the extension (Z near the forward end thereof, and the upper end of this supplemental rail lies within the channel of the main rail and is adapted to slide therein to adjust itself to the relative positions of the main rail and the bottom extension rail (Z. This supplemental rail therefore spans or bridges the joint between themain rail and the lower extension rail and lies at a lesser angle than the main rail.

Within the forward endof the lower extension rail cl is fastened or formed a block f which extends to near the lower end of the supplemental rail and has its face inclined upwardly, so that this block forms an inclined plane to direct the wheel of the safe onto the supplemental rail. It will be observed that when these rails are laid in pairs upon a stairway they form a complete track or runway to support and guide the wheels of the safe or other article as it is hauled up or lowered down the stairway. The supplemental rails serve the important function of giving an easy start, by reason of their lesser inclination, to the article as it moves up the run-way, thus adapting the device to the handling of the heaviest safes. These supplemental rails also serve to ease up the shock of landing the safe at the lower end of the runway. The manner of hinging the upper and lower extensions of the rails together with the capacity of the main rails to slide and telescope one within the u otheradapts the apparatus for stairways of different lengths and inclinations.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A run-way or skid for stairways, consisting of a pair of main tracks or rails each consisting of a pair of sections having their meeting ends overlapped and adapted to be adjusted one upon the other, a vertically swinging rail section at the upper end of each of the main rails, a similarly swinging rail section at the lower end of each of the rails, and a supplemental bridging rail section hinged at its forward end to each of the lower rail extensions and having its upper end slidingly resting upon the main rail section, for the purposes set forth.

2. A runway for stairways consisting of a pair of main rails adjustable as to length, a hinged rail extension at the lower end of each of the main rails, a supplemental or bridging rail hinged to each of said extensions and extending across the hinged joint and slidably bearing upon the main rail.

3. A run-way for stairways comprising a pair of main channeled rails free to be set apart any suitable distance and each comprising a pair of sections telescopically adjustable one within the other, means for fas- 5 said extension may lie upon the floor at the 20 bottom of the stairway.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 16th day of November 1910.

EDWARD V. CARTER. l/Vitnesses:

A. P. SHARPE, LILLIAN COHEN. 

